Thursday, November 3, 2011

Heart 1 Review Roundup

“If all…sports comics out there were as well written as HEART is, superhero comics would have some tough competition.”

“This story has enough grit and punch to put any comic to shame, making you root at the right times while offering a glimpse at the humanity underneath all of the machismo.”“…an enthralling and humanistic drama…”

“HEART is a comic worth taking a chance with. It ain’t superheroey, it ain’t colored, and it ain’t your run of the mill comic. What it is is some powerful reading.”

“I really want to see way more than a miniseries worth of work out of Butler and Mellon. With their powers combined, they’ve snapped me out of my cynical grouch attitude about comics and got me back into the “comics can be so much more than what it’s being reduced to lately” state of mind that made me want to draw comics.”

“The action is rendered perfectly. The submission holds will have you tapping out by the end of the book.…..You don’t have to be an MMA fan to enjoy this book, just a fan of good storytelling in all aspects. If you are looking for a break from superhero comics, give Heart a chance.”

“MMA has simply become a proxy here, a proxy for reclaiming your life and the very act of feeling. Feeling alive, in control, human and free to live and die on your own terms. Rooster uses MMA to rebel against his benumbed existence – he uses it by allowing himself to get the shit kicked out of him in a ring in a desperate, last-ditch effort to feel something immediate, something real and explosive in his life – he uses it to feel anything at all.”

“This isn’t a story about MMA at all… it is simply a story about the absolute need to experience catharsis and freedom. These are the rudimentary and universally primal themes the story works upon, and as such, the story works beautifully.”

“Mellon’s art…jabs, grapples, ducks and weaves with a hell of a lot of spirit. His dynamic pencils will keep readers on their toes.”

“There’s a fascinating story being told here and I can’t wait for the next installment…”“I recommend it to everyone who has ever stepped into a comic shop, especially if you haven’t given anything but the Big Two the time of day lately.”

“Butler and Mellon have constructed an almost perfect first issue. It accomplishes the one vital thing that every #1 needs to; it makes me want to pick up #2. It’s hard not to want the next chapter when the first is this good. I’m ready for the next round. Let’s hope that Butler and Mellon have the stamina and the, ahem, heart to keep competing at this level.”

“Capture(s) the excitement of a MMA fight -- but it’s not the up and down of the action on the cage that’s the focus; instead it’s the desire and drive of those who put their body on the lines for our entertainment.”

“With Butler and Mellon at the helm, Heart is a one-two punch that is sure to delight fans of independent comics and MMA…”

“There are so many ways in which this story could have been done wrong, but Butler manages to give an engaging premise with just enough information to ground us in this world… but leaves us asking questions that I quite frankly want to see answered.”

“Mellon’s anatomy and figure rendering shows much attention to the ways in which MMA fighters tangle, making for some more believable fight sequences with nothing too over-the-top or “comic booky.”

“I walked in the door, read the book cover to cover before I had a chance to sit down. Then I got myself a soda and read it all over again. Here is a brand new writer, a new character, a new title, and I tore into it like this was the death of Superman or the reveal of the Thunderbolts.”

"Heart isn’t just a comic for people who are into MMA-style fighting, but for people who enjoy a good story overall. Go get yourself an issue from your local store, you won’t be disappointed in your choice to do so. An interesting story, great character and kinetic storytelling. It’s a win-win for its creators and readers alike."